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The Council of Science and Technology Advisors (CSTA) has weighed in with a series of recommendations on how the federal government can improve its S&T communications in a rapidly evolving environment in which S&T is increasingly important to all facets of society and the economy.

Alberta and British Columbia have jumped to the fore in Canadian high performance computing (HPC) with the official launch of the Western Canada Research Grid (WestGrid). With core funding of $12 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the project also secured $6 million each from the BC Knowledge Development Fund and the Alberta Science and Research Authority, and $20 million from participating vendors.

Canada’s reactivated external advisory council for S&T policy and its economic applications is moving quickly to deliver advice on one of the four themes developed for the government’s emerging innovation strategy.

Industry Canada is moving to make good on the government’s commitment to report annually on Canada’s progress in meeting the targets and objectives set out in the national Innovation Strategy. The department has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an Innovation Benchmarking Report that will include an innovation index comprised of several indicators to monitor national innovation performance “in absolute terms and in relation to major competitors”.

Single funding source urged

Two respected proponents of a strong national innovation system led a delegation to Ottawa last week for five days of meetings to push for dramatic change in how Ottawa funds Canada’s national research facilities.

Technology R&D and acceleration

Counter terrorism R&D is receiving a $66-million boost from the latest round of projects approved by the CBRN Research & Technology Initiative (CRTI). From a new public health intelligence network to the enhancement of a suppressive foam to mitigate the effects of explosive devices, the projects are driven by the need to link the scientific community to first responders and to close gaps in S&T capacity.

After years of underfunding and neglect, Arctic research is being pushed up the national S&T agenda with the commissioning of a research icebreaker and the funding of a major study of the Arctic Shelf.

Canada’s S&T counsellors reported on the state of this nation’s competitors as part of their annual two-week tour of Canada to provide an overview of recent developments in their host countries and promote their services to the S&T community.

The National Research Council’s annual Regional Innovation Forum looked within and around the world for insight into how to grow the Ottawa area’s burgeoning but beleaguered knowledge-based economy.

Manitoba is the latest province to release an ambitious framework for innovation complete with specific targets and timed to coincide with a pre-election Budget that makes modest contributions to its goals.